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We all liked both of these recipes, and would make them again. I found both of these recipes on Pinterest, and happened to have all the ingredients on hand to make them. The chicken was moist and flavorful, the combo of the cheese and Italian dressing mix matched well with the chicken. I was surprised at how easy it was to make homemade Rice-a-Roni. I served this meal with steamed broccoli, a favorite of my toddler.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the cheese, Italian dressing, and garlic powder together. Moisten the chicken breasts with water, and then coat in the cheese mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute the rice and pasta until golden, stirring often. Stir in all the seasonings, then add the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered until the liquid had been absorbed and the rice and pasta are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork a few times. If it is still too wet, let it sit on low with the lid off a few minutes.

My two year old loves macaroni and cheese, so I was excited to try this recipe out on him. I’m sure glad I did, he loved it. I thought it was good too. It kind of reminded me of Stouffers frozen macaroni and cheese. I have tried a crockpot macaroni and cheese recipe before, and it didn’t turn out very good. The milk in that recipe curdled in the crockpot. I didn’t have that problem with this recipe, it was smooth and creamy.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese
Source: Six Sisters, originally from Paula Deen

I first had this casserole at one of my husband’s family gatherings. His great aunt, Betty Lou made it. I loved it, and had to get the recipe! I have made this for the last 2 years at Thanksgiving, and everyone loves it. The sweet potatoes are sweetened up even more with Splenda, and they are topped with a delicious sweet crumb topping. It is easy to make. I have used canned sweet potatoes in this recipe, but I prefer to bake the sweet potatoes. If you bake them, let them cool for just a few minutes. The potato peel is really easy to remove. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do 🙂

A coworker of my dad’s gave my parents a couple of jars of this corn relish, and they were kind enough to let me sample it too. I’m so glad they did, I loved it. This is such a perfect side dish in the summer to anything coming off of your grill! This makes alot, but freezes well. I made 5 pints with one batch. This was really easy to make, and would make a great gift in the summer!

In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, and oil. Heat to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and cool. In a very large glass or plastic container, combine the onion, peppers, jalapenos, corn, and kidney beans. Pour the cooled brine over the veggies and combine. Cover and chill overnight. Place relish in 5 pint jars or desired containers. Will keep in fridge for one week.

It’s recipe swap time once again, and this time the theme is potatoes. I submitted a side dish recipe for lemony asparagus and new potatoes, and was given this one. I love trying all the recipes in the swap, it’s fun to try a recipe that you might not have given a chance. I adapted this recipe quite a bit for just the two of us. I did not roast the garlic or use gruyere cheese. I used shredded cheddar in ours. I also halved the recipe, as it makes 20 balls and I thought that would be way too much for us. This is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. To see all of the recipes, check out A Taste of Home Cooking. We both liked the potato balls, although they were a little work. My husband dipped his in ranch dressing, and I dipped mine in bbq sauce.

If you are like me and have tons of cucumbers and tomatoes right now from your garden, then this is the recipe for you! I remember my grandmother making something similar to this when I was growing up. She would slice cucumbers and onions very thin and soak them in a combination of vinegar and sugar. I used to love when she would make this for me! The longer this salad marinates, the more the flavors really penetrate the vegetables. What can I say, this is perfect for a hot summer day.

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onions. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the vinegar and water. Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

I have been making these stuffed mushrooms for years now. I don’t have a recipe for them. I usually add a little of this, and a little of that. They are always a hit when I make them. My husband loves them, and he usually eats about 15 of them all by himself. I have to say, they are quite addictive! Well, I made them last night for a special steak dinner, and I wrote out the measurements. Now I can share the recipe with all my family and friends that request it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! There were a total of four people here last night for dinner. Between the 4 of us, we almost demolished 32 oz of mushrooms! That’s alot of mushrooms. So, if you are making this for a crowd, you might want to triple the recipe.

Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Source: The Cooking Nurse Original Recipe

16 oz package of whole mushrooms, washed and stems discarded

(16 oz) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 stick real butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons parsley flakes, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup real bacon bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash mushrooms well, and discard stems. In a medium-sized bowl, combine cream cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, parsley flakes, Parmesan cheese, and bacon bits. With a spoon, divide cream cheese mixture evenly between mushrooms. Place the mushrooms cream cheese side up, in a greased 9×13 inch pan. Depending on the size of your mushrooms, you may need an additional pan as well. Sprinkle mushrooms with additional parsley. Bake for 45 minutes, or until mushrooms have softened. Enjoy! They make an excellent side dish to any kind of grilled meat, or are great as an appetizer.

I’m sure by now you must know of my love for all things ranch. This recipe was quite tasty. The ranch flavor is not overwhelming at all, it just adds a little something different to plain old mac and cheese. We will be repeating this in our house in the future, it was very good. I cut this recipe in half and still had leftovers, it makes alot!

The cooking board I like to frequent has a new challenge out this week! The challenge is to use the ingredient tomatoes in a new recipe and blog about it. I immediately thought of this recipe that my mom makes frequently in the summer. It is so addicting! This recipe tastes fantastic with tomatoes fresh out of the garden, which I have an abundance of right now! I served this along side tequila lime chicken.

Heat 1/2 olive oil in large oven proof skillet over medium heat. Remove from heat and add minced garlic and bread cubes. Mix well. Place skillet in oven and bake until bread is golden (10-15 minutes at 350 degrees). Remove from oven and let bread cool.

Meanwhile, chop tomatoes and remove seeds. Transfer chopped tomatoes to a large bowl. Add remaining oil, vinegar, and season with salt to taste. Shortly before serving toss bread with tomato mixture and add basil.